This invention relates to a system for tracking financial transactions. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of transaction receipts which include an adhesive record portion for direct transfer to a transaction account register.
In conventional bookkeeping systems associated with personal bank accounts, each transaction is memorialized by a transaction receipt. This receipt will include a description of the transaction, e.g., a withdrawal, a deposit, a service fee, a transfer, or some other transaction type. The receipt also includes the amount of the transaction, along with a date, an account number, and any other information used by a bank or an individual to track the transaction. The receipt may be prepared by a bank teller, or may be produced by an automatic teller machine (ATM), depending on the location where the transaction is conducted. In this well known procedure, the individual using the account must still retain the transaction receipt, and transfer the contents therein to an account register by hand in order to accurately maintain up-to-date account balances.
Aside from being tedious, this hand-entry procedure is prone to error, particularly when the account user must enter numerous transactions at one time. One approach to this problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,106 to Thomas S. Duck, entitled xe2x80x9cPoint-of-Sale Check Writing Assist Apparatus.xe2x80x9d The ""106 patent describes a system in which blank portions of a check are printed onto adhesive labels for direct transfer to checks, thus freeing the check payor from the task of completing a check by hand. The ""106 patent further describes a peel-and-stick label which may be placed into a checkbook account register for later balancing of a checkbook.
However, there are numerous other types of bank accounts, and there are numerous other types of transactions which may be conducted with a bank account. With the introduction of ATM""s, a checking account may frequently have more non-check transactions than check transactions. Accordingly, there remains a continuing need for a simple, automated account transaction management system.
The invention is an adhesive transaction receipt to simplify bookkeeping for bank accounts. According to the invention, a receipt is provided relating to a completed financial transaction. The receipt is provided from a bank teller, from an ATM, or from some other individual or institution engaged in financial transactions. The receipt includes an adhesive portion which contains information relating to the transaction. In order to enter a record of the transaction into an account register, the adhesive portion is removed from the transaction receipt and transferred to an appropriate location within the account register.
The adhesive transaction receipt is a self-adhesive, or so-called xe2x80x9cpeel-and-stick,xe2x80x9d label. It is shaped and sized for direct transfer to an account register. The adhesive transaction receipt can be a single, integrated label affixed to a release sheet within the body of a complete receipt. Alternatively, the complete receipt, or some portion thereof, may be printed onto a larger self-adhesive label, with the adhesive transaction receipt portion scored for removal from the remaining label portion.
The adhesive transaction receipt can also be of the type that is moistened before adhering. In this case, the adhesive portion would preferably appear along an outer edge of the complete receipt, such that it may be scored and easily detached from the complete receipt.
The adhesive transaction receipt includes a transaction type and an amount. The adhesive transaction receipt may include other information such as a date of the transaction and a current balance of the account. Account information appearing on the adhesive portion is arranged to appear in the proper column of the associated account register. The adhesive portion may be made of a transparent material so that placing the adhesive portion in the account register does not obscure the view of other information in the account register.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of personal bookkeeping using the adhesive transaction receipt to maintain account balances.